Persons having a professionally administered shampoo or certain other hairdressing operations usually assume a reclining or semi-reclining position with their head situated over a shampoo bowl. The shampoo bowl typically has a concave indentation in one wall through which the back of the persons neck extends. This enables the person's head to be located at a lower level in relation to the bowl and thereby avoids or minimizes spillage of liquids during the hairdressing operations.
Shampoo bowls are typically formed of hard substances such as plastic, porcelain or metal. Thus the bowl indentation does not itself provide a particularly comfortable support for the person's neck during the hairdressing operations. Temperature differences between such materials and the person's skin can also cause discomfort.
Neck supports have heretofore been designed for the purpose of alleviating the above described problems. Such supports are attached to the bowl to provide a cushioning and thermally insulative lining in the bowl indentation against which the back of the persons neck may be rested. The cushioning material has in some instances been mounted on a backing member that that is formed of less resilient material and which is shaped to extend a short distance down the front wall of the bowl and a longer distance down within the bowl to hold the neck support in place. In some cases a cover of waterproof sheeting is provided to prevent saturation of foam rubber cushioning material and to facilitate cleaning of the neck support between usages.
Shampooing or the like is made more comfortable by neck supports of the above described kind but the prior constructions do not adequately resolve still another problem associated with the use of shampoo bowls.
In particular, water or other fluids used in hairdressing tends to run out through the bowl indentation at the back and sides of the person's neck. This is itself discomforting and can soil or damage clothing. Prior neck supports do not block outward liquid flow through the bowl indentation at least to an extent that would avoid the above discussed problems.
A neck support construction that efficiently inhibits fluid leakage would be advantageous. It is also desirable that such a neck support be compact, easily cleaned and that it be inexpensive.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.